Method of labeling articles



March 23, 1%5 B. D. MORGAN METHOD OF LABELING ARTICLES Filed May 14, 1962 FIG.3

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3,174,888 METHOD OF LABELING ARTHILES Burton D. Morgan, Hudson, Ohio, assignor to Morgan Adhesives Company, Stow, Qhio, a corporation of Ohio Filed May 14, 1962, Ser. No. 194,273 7 (Ilairns. (Cl. l56230) This invention relates to a method of producing and applying a label tab to an article and, more particularly, to a method of simultaneously applying label tabs to a plurality of packaged articles.

It is the general object of the invention to provide an improved, relatively inexpensive, and efiicient method of producing and placing pressure sensitive labels on articles.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of simultaneously applying a plurality of label tabs to a plurality of articles confined within a package.

The foregoing objects of the invention are achieved by that method of applying label tabs to articles which includes the step of printing on a laminated sheet, which contains a pressure sensitive adhesive, a plurality of labels in laterally spaced interspersed patterns, the patterns being determined by the position of the articles in their packaging container and the desired position of the label tabs on the articles, cutting the labels according to the patterns, separating the matrix of the laminated sheet from the cut label tabs, positioning an overlay sheet having a pattern of removable adhesive which covers one of the label tab patterns, stripping the overlay sheet from the tab sheet to pick up the tabs of the patterns, placing the overlay sheet containing the tabs on the articles to be labeled to secure the tabs to the articles, removing the overlay sheet, positioing the overlay sheet or a second overlay sheet on the label tabs of a second pattern to permit a complementary pattern of removable adhesive to pick up the label tabs of the second pattern and placing the overlay sheet containing the tabs of the second pattern on the articles to be labeled.

The exact nature of the invention as well as other object and advantages thereof will be readily apparent from a consideration of the following specification relating to the annexed drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a label sheet having a label tab pattern according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross section of the label sheet of FIG. 1, taken on line 2-2 thereof.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of an overlay sheet used to remove the tabs from the base sheet of the label sheet.

FIG. 4 is an elevation view partly in section of a'pack of packaged article showing the simultaneous application of label tabs to the articles.

Referring to the drawing there is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 a laminated sheet it) having a base resist sheet 12, usually of coated paper or paper-like material, and a label stock sheet 14 secured to the base sheet with a pressure sensitive adhesive 16. The coating on the resist sheet 12 causes the adhesive 16 to stick thereto only lightly.

The outer surface of the label stock 14 is printed as desired in a pattern which forms laterally spaced, interspersed sets of label tabs 18 and 20. The label pattern formed by the tabs 18 is substantially identical to the label pattern formed by the tabs 29. The pattern is determined by the position of the articles confined within a package and the desired position of the label tab on the articles. As many sets of label tabs are printed as possible so as to utilize substantially the greatest amount of area of the label stock.

To separate the label tabs from each other the label stock and pressure sensitive adhesive is die cut. The shape of the label tab is determined by printing and label atent requirements. After the label tabs have been cut, the matrix material 22 is separated or stripped from the base sheet 12 leaving the label tabs thereon.

The separate patterns or sets of label tabs are sequentially removed from the base sheet 12 by an overlay or carrier sheet 24 having on one surface thereof strips of pressure sensitive adhesive 26. The pattern of the adhesiveis such that the adhesive 26 positions itself over and will pick up one set of label tabs.

As shown in FIG. 3, the overlay or carrier sheet 24 contains reference points A and B. The overlay sheet is positioned on the label tabs so that the reference points A and B correspond to the reference lines A and B on the base sheet 12. The label tabs 13 of the first set or pattern are secured by means of pressure sensitive adhesive to the base sheet 12 and are secured by means of the removable adhesive 26 to the overlay sheet 24.

When the overlay sheet 24 is separated or stripped from the base sheet 12, the tabs of the first pattern remain fixed to the overlay sheet and the tabs of the second pattern remain on the base sheet. This is because the adhesive 26 adheres more strongly to the tabs than the adhesive 16 adheres to the resist sheet 12. Thus, the overlay sheet with its adhesive selectively removes a set or pattern of label tabs from the base sheet.

As shown in FIG. 4, the overlay sheet 24 containing the pattern or label tabs 18 is used to apply the label tabs to the articles 28. The articles 28 such as capped bottles are confined within a package 30 such as a heavy paper box. The dimensions of the overlay sheet 24 conform to the inside perimeter of the package so that the label tabs are properly aligned with the articles to enable the tabs to be quickly pressed securely thereto. The overlay sheet may be either left in the package on the articles to function as a protective member or it may be removed from the label tabs secured to the articles. The tabs adhere to the articles upon the removal of the carrier or overlay sheet because the adhesive 16 adheres more strongly to the articles than the adhesive 26 adheres to the tabs.

Preferably the same or a similar overlay 0r carrier sheet can be used to remove the label tabs 20 of the sec ond pattern from the base sheet 12. Of course, the invention contemplates another carrier sheet with a distinct pattern should this be necessary to handle a special set of labels. When the reference points DC on the base sheet 12 and the overlay sheet 24 are matched, the removable adhesive pattern 26 conforms to the pattern of the label tabs 20. Stripping the overlay sheet 24 from the base sheet removes the label tabs from said base sheet. The overlay sheet containing the labeled tabs is used to apply the tabs to articles confined to a package. The pressure sensitive adhesive surface of the labeled tabs contacts the articles.

The number of spaced super-imposed label tab patterns is limited by the space relationship between the respective tabs, the shape of the tabs, and the space relationship of the packaged articles.

While there have been shown, described, and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the preferred embodiment, it will be understood that the various omissions, substitutions, changes in form, and details of the method defined may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is intended to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. That method of making and applying labels to a plurality of articles in a plurality of containers which includes the steps of providing a label stock with a pressure sensitive adhesive underside securing it to a high resist sheet, printing one set of labels on the stock in a pattern to position the labels on the articles in the first container, printing a second set of labels on the stock in a pattern to position the labels on the articles in the second container, the labels of the second set being spaced from and interspersed between the labels of the first set, repeating the printing operation as many times as possible to utilize substantially the greatest amount of stock area, cutting around each label down to the resist sheet, removing the matrix of waste stock leaving the labels on the sheet, providing a carrier sheet with a plurality of pressure sensitive adhesive areas positioned to engage with the first set of labels, engaging the first set of labels with the carrier sheet with an adhesive force great enough to pick the first set of labels off the resist sheet, positioning the carrier sheet and first set of labels over the first container and pressing the labels into the articles therein, positioning the carrier sheet in a laterally indexed position over the resist sheet and picking up the second set of labels, positioning the carrier sheet and second set of labels over the second container and pressing the labels onto the articles therein, and repeating the operation to pick up each set of labels in turn and to deposit them on the articles in a container.

2. That method of applying labels to articles including the steps of printing in a laterally spaced interspersed first and second pattern, a plurality of labels on a sheet having one surface coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive, cutting the labels according to the patterns, stripping the matrix of the sheet from around the printed labels, positioning on the label sheet an overlay sheet having a pattern of removable adhesive which covers the first label pattern, stripping the overlay sheet from the label sheet to pick up the labels of the first pattern, placing the overlay sheet containing the labels of the first pattern on the articles to be labeled to secure the labels to the articles, and removing the overlay sheet from the labels secured to the articles.

3. The steps defined in the method of claim 2 including positioning on the label sheet subsequent to the removal of the labels of the first label pattern a second overlay sheet having a surface coated with a pattern of removable adhesive which covers the second label pattern, stripping the second overlay sheet from the label sheet to pick up the labels of the second pattern, placing the second overlay sheet containing the labels of the second pattern on articles to be labeled to secure the labels to the articles, and removing the second overlay sheet from the labels secured to the articles.

4. That method of simultaneously applying a tab sheet to a plurality of articles confined within a package comprising the steps of cutting in a laterally spaced interspersed first and second pattern determined by the position of the packaged articles a plurality of tabs from a sheet having one surface coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive, said sheet being mounted on a flexible base member, separating the matrix of the sheet from the separate tabs and the base member, positioning on the tabs a first overlay sheet having coated on one surface thereof a pattern of removable adhesive, said adhesive contacting the tabs of the first pattern, placing the first overlay sheet containing the tabs on the articles so that the pressure sensitive adhesive contacts the article, removing the first overlay sheet from the tabs secured to the articles, positioning on the remaining tabs a second overlay sheet having coated on one surface thereof a removable adhesive, said adhesive contacting the remaining tabs, placing the second overlay sheet containing the tabs on a second group of articles so that the pressure sensitive adhesive contacts the article, and removing the second overlay sheet from the tabs secured to the articles.

5 That method of simultaneously applying a tab sheet to a plurality of articles confined within a package comprising the steps of cutting in a pattern determined by the position of the packaged articles a plurality of tabs from a sheet having one surface coated with a pressure sensi; tive adhesive, said sheet being mounted on a flexible base member, separating the matrix of the sheet from the separate tabs and the base member, positioning on the tabs an overlay sheet having coated on one surface thereof a pattern of removable adhesive, said adhesive contacting the tabs, removing the flexible base member from the tabs, placing the overlay sheet containing the tabs on the articles so that the pressure sensitive adhesive contacts the article, and removing the overlay sheet from the tabs secured to the articles.

6. That method of simultaneously applying a label tab to a plurality of articles confined within a package comprising the steps of cutting in a plurality of separated superimposed patterns determined by the position of the packaged articles .a plurality of tabs from a sheet having one surface coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive, said sheet being mounted on a flexible base member, separating the matrix of the sheet from the separate tabs and the base member, sequentially positioning on the tabs a plurality of overlay sheets, each overlay sheet having coated on one surface thereof a different pattern of removable adhesive which coincides with one of the tab patterns cut on the sheet, placing each overlay sheet containing the pattern of tabs on separate packaged articles so that the pressure sensitive adhesive contacts the articles, and removing the overlay sheets from the tabs secured to the articles.

7. That method of simultaneously applying a label tabto a plurality of articles confined within a package comprising the steps of cutting in a plurality of laterally spaced interspersed patterns determined by the position of the packaged articles a plurality of tabs from a sheet having one surface coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive, said sheet being mounted on a flexible base member, separating the matrix of the sheet from the separate tabs and the base member, sequentially positioning on the tabs an overlay sheet having on one surface thereof a pattern of removable adhesive which corresponds to the separate patterns of the tabs, sequentially placing the overlay sheet containing the pattern of tabs on separate packaged articles so that the pressure sensitive adhesive contacts the articles, and removing the overlay sheets from the tabs secured to the articles.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. THAT METHOD OF MAKING AND APPLYING LABELS TO A PLURALITY OF ARTICLES IN A PLURALITY OF CONTAINERS WHICH INCLUDES THE STEPS OF PROVIDING A LABEL STOCK WITH A PRESSURE SENSITIVE ADHESIVE UNDERSIDE SECURING IT TO A HIGH RESIST SHEET, PRINTING ONE SET OF LABELS ON THE STOCK IN A PATTERN TO POSITION THE LABELS ON THE ARTICLES IN THE FIRST CONTAINER, PRINTING A SECOND SET OF LABELS ON THE STOCK IN A PATTERN TO POSITION THE LABELS ON THE ARTICLES IN THE SECOND CONTAINER, THE LABELS OF THE SECOND SET BEING SPACED FROM AND INTERSPERSED BETWEEN THE LABELS OF THE FIRST SET, REPEATING THE PRINTING OPERATION AS MANY TIMES AS POSSIBLE TO UTILIZE SUBSTANTIALLY THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF STOCK AREA, CUTTING AROUND EACH LABEL DOWN TO THE RESIST SHEET, REMOVING THE MATRIX OF WASTE STOCK LEAVING THE LAVELS ON THE SHEET, PROVIDING A CARRIER SHEET WITH A PLURALITY OF PRESSURE SENSITIVE ADHESIVE AREAS POSITIONED TO ENGAGE WITH THE FIRST SET OF LABELS, ENGAGING THE FIRST SET OF LABELS WITH THE CARRIER SHEET WITH AN ADHESIVE FORCE GREAT ENOUGH TO PICK THE FIRST SET OF LABELS OFF THE RESIST SHEET, POSITIONING THE CARRIER SHEET AND FIRST SET OF LABELS OVER THE FIRST CONTAINER AND PRESSING THE LABELS INTO THE ARTICLES THEREIN, POSITIONING THE CARRIER SHEET IN A LATERALLY INDEXED POSITION OVER THE RESIST SHEET AND PICKING UP THE SECOND SET OF LABELS, POSITIONING THE CARRIER SHEET AND SECOND SET OF LABELS OVER THE SECOND CONTAINER AND PRESSING THE LABELS ONTO THE ARTICLES THEREIN, AND REPEATING THE OPERATION TO PICK UP EACH SET OF LABELS IN TURN AND TO DEPOSIT THEM ON THE ARTICLES IN A CONTAINER. 